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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · pit · current · coach · pound · kid · suit · lie

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kid — to tease
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kid — child

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com